These indulgent, melt in the middle chocolate puddings will not disappoint. The oozing salted brandy butter caramel is an absolute delight!
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Yields:
4 serving(s)
Prep Time:
35 mins
Cook Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
1 hr
Cal/Serv:
762
Ingredients
For the brandy butter caramel
100g
caster sugar
50g
brandy butter
50ml
double cream
2Tbsp.
brandy
1/4tsp.
flaked sea salt
50g
dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
For the fondants
100g
butter, plus extra, melted, to grease
Cocoa powder, for dusting
225g
dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids
1/2tsp.
coffee granules
2
large eggs and 2 large egg yolks
100g
caster sugar
50g
plain flour
Vanilla ice cream, optional, to serve
Directions
Step 1For the brandy butter caramel, melt sugar with 3tbsp water in a medium heavy-based pan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Turn up heat and bubble to caramel colour (without stirring, swirl pan instead). Remove from heat and mix in cream (careful it will splutter). Return to heat and stir until you have a smooth sauce. Stir in brandy butter, brandy and sea salt. Pour into a bowl, cool and chill to thicken, at least 4hr (up to 24hr).
Step 2Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 and place a baking sheet in oven to heat up. Grease 4 dariole moulds well with melted butter then add a generous spoon of cocoa powder to each mould and shake gently to completely coat; tap out excess. Chill until needed.
Step 3Melt the 225g (8oz) chocolate, butter, coffee granules and 1/2tsp fine sea salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Set aside to cool.
Step 4Using a handheld electric whisk, beat eggs, yolks and sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 5min. Fold in cooled chocolate mixture and flour. Half fill the prepared moulds with this mixture, then add 1tbsp of the cooled caramel to each (it’s crucial it doesn’t touch the sides). Top with the remaining chocolate mixture. Chill until needed.
Step 5Bake fondants on the hot baking tray in the oven sheet for 14-15min, until the tops of the fondants are set and feel spongy.
Step 6Meanwhile, place bowl with remaining caramel over a pan of hot water and heat to loosen. Remove from heat, add 50g (2oz) chopped chocolate and leave until melted, stirring once.
Step 7Run a knife around the inside rim of each mould to release, then turn out on to a plate and serve straight away, with a scoop of ice cream, if you like, and the chocolate caramel sauce.
Get ahead
Prepare to end of step 4 up to 1 day ahead (do not preheat oven). Cover and chill. To serve, preheat oven and complete recipe, adding 3-4min to the baking time.
GH Tip
To make your own brandy butter, beat 125g (4oz) unsalted butter in a bowl until soft. Gradually mix in 125g (4oz) sifted light muscovado sugar, beating well after each addition, until light and fluffy. Beat in 4-5tbsp brandy, to taste, spoonful by spoonful, then transfer to a serving bowl and chill refrigerate for at least 2-3hr until firm.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
